Ground ostrich: a comparison with ground beef.
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Animals↗
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Disulfide pairings and secondary structure of porcine beta-microseminoprotein.
A sperm motility inhibitor isolated from porcine seminal plasma is identical to porcine beta-microseminoprotein (MSP). Circular dichroism (CD) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data showed that the native and recombinant porcine MSPs exhibit very similar structure. The five disulfide pairings on porcine MSP were unambiguously assigned based on NMR data and further confirmed using structural calculations. Surprisingly, our derived pairings differ from those recently reported for ostrich MSP based on matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) analysis. Furthermore, the secondary structure was determined to comprise one four-stranded and two double-stranded antiparallel beta-sheets. As we know, this is the first detailed secondary structure reported among several types of MSPs.
Amides↗
A morphological study of simple testicular cysts in the ostrich (Struthio camelus).
Simple testicular cysts are rare in mammals and of unknown aetiology, but dietary conditions have been implicated in this phenomenon in poultry. This study characterises the structural features of simple intratesticular cysts in the ostrich. Seven testes from a total of 15 sexually mature ostriches slaughtered during the breeding season were used. The testes contained multifocal, fluid-filled, unilocular cysts which were lined by a simple squamous or low cuboidal epithelium and surrounded by a thick layer of fibrous connective tissue. The cysts developed within seminiferous tubules and displayed morphological features similar to those reported in man and domestic poultry. The testis parenchyma revealed several foci composed of intermingled normal seminiferous tubules and variably sized intratesticular cysts. The atrophic tubules lay within a mass of hyperplastic, fibroblastic intertubular connective tissue in the proximity of large cysts and their formation appeared to result from hydrostatic pressure exerted by cysts. Morphological evidence supports a continuous process of cyst formation in the affected testis and a concomitant progressive loss of atrophic seminiferous tubules. A pathogenetic scenario of cyst formation and the effect of simple cysts on testicular histology has been proposed. Although the course of this phenomenon remains unknown, its impact on the fertility of this economically important bird deserves closer scrutiny.
Animals↗
Retinal photoreceptors of paleognathous birds: the ostrich (Struthio camelus) and rhea (Rhea americana).
Microspectrophotometry was used to determine the absorbance spectra of both rod and cone visual pigments and oil droplets from the retinae of the ostrich (Struthio camelus) and rhea (Rhea americana). Light and fluorescence microscopy of whole fresh tissue mounts were used to determine the relative numbers and distribution of oil droplets in the retinae. Both species possessed rods, double cones and four classes of single cone identified by their oil droplets. The rods had lambda max at about 505 nm, whereas three cone pigments were recorded with lambda max at 570, 505 and 445 nm. The P570 pigment was located in both members of the double cones and in a class of single cone containing an R-type oil droplet (lambda cut at 555 nm). The P505 and P445 cone pigments were found in populations of single cones containing Y-type and C-type oil droplets (lambda cut of 500 and 420 nm, respectively). The fourth class of single cone contained a T-type droplet and in the ostrich contained a visual pigment with lambda max at about 405 nm. Double cones possessed a P-type droplet in the principal member and an A-type droplet in the accessory member. The complement of visual pigments and oil droplets, and the ratio of cone types in the ostrich and rhea, are remarkably similar to those found in many groups of neognathous birds.
Animals↗
Ultrasonography of the female reproductive organs in farmed ostriches (Struthio camelus spp.).
The main objective of this study was to determine whether transcutaneous ultrasonography could be used as a diagnostic tool to monitor the reproductive organs of female breeding ostriches. An additional aim was to investigate whether the use of this technique could facilitate prediction of the start or end of the egg production season. A technique for on-farm ultrasound scanning is described and examples of ultrasonographic images of different ovarian structures, developing ova and eggs within the genital tract are presented. These data were obtained by scanning mature female breeding ostriches (n=8). In vivo scanning took place a day prior to slaughter, and immediately after slaughter the reproductive organs were scanned in vitro in a water bath. By comparing ultrasonographic images with post mortem ovarian morphology, it appeared that the following morphological structures can be identified using ultrasonography: ovarian follicles of different sizes (diameter (phi) 1-9 cm), atretic follicles, post-ovulatory follicles (POFs), ova at different stages of development and eggs within the genital tract. Of the number of follicles counted during post mortem investigation, 58% (95% confidence interval 0.41-0.79) had been detected during previous in vivo examination. In the second part of our study, ultrasonographic scans were made at weekly intervals in two farmed female ostriches (n=2) during the breeding season in order to determine the predictive value of the technique. By comparing the images of ovarian activity with individual egg production of these hens, preliminary evidence was obtained that scanning might be of value in predicting egg production, especially at the start and the end of the breeding season. It is concluded that transcutaneous ultrasound scanning in mature female breeding ostriches is an easy, noninvasive technique for the monitoring of ovarian (in)activity, for visualization of different functional ovarian structures, for following the development of individual ova and for visualization of an egg with calciferous shell within the oviduct, and that this technique will be a valuable tool in future research on reproductive physiology and pathology, and the development of more advanced reproductive technologies, such as artificial insemination.
Animals↗
Ostrich pericardium, a biomaterial for the construction of valve leaflets for cardiac bioprostheses: mechanical behaviour, selection and interaction with suture materials.
The mechanical behavior of ostrich pericardium was studied for the purpose of assessing its utility in the construction of bioprosthetic cardiac valve leaflets. The tissue was tested biaxially using a hydraulic simulator that subjected it to increasing stress until rupture. One hundred eighty trials were performed, 36 with unsutured pericardium and four series of 36 trials each with pericardium sutured with silk, Prolene, nylon or Gore-Tex. The samples were tested in pairs from three different pericardial regions. One sample from each pair (the predictive specimen) was assessed according to morphological and mechanical criteria, while the other (the predicted or selectable specimen) was subjected only to morphological analysis. The findings show that ostrich pericardium treated with glutaraldehyde according to standard methods has an excellent resistance to rupture in biaxial testing, withstanding stresses of up to 100 MPa, and never lower than 30 MPa. Its resistance to rupture is lowered by suturing, a loss that is less pronounced when silk sutures are used. The results with Gore-Tex are very homogeneous and the elastic behavior of the pericardium/suture unit appears to be similar to that of unsutured tissue, suggesting that the interaction between the two biomaterials is minor. Similar results were observed in the series sutured with Prolene and nylon. The use of paired samples makes it possible to closely estimate the mechanical behavior of the tissue in a given zone by determining that of its mate. The statistical study shows that this estimation is not conditioned by the suture employed, thus validating this approach and providing more precise criteria for tissue selection.
Animals↗
Comparison of the mechanical behaviors of biological tissues subjected to uniaxial tensile testing: pig, calf and ostrich pericardium sutured with Gore-Tex.
The purpose of this study was to compare the mechanical behavior of calf pericardium, pig pericardium and ostrich pericardium when subjected to tensile testing. Tensile stress was applied to 108 tissue samples, 36 of each type of tissue, until rupture. Groups of three adjacent strips measuring 12 x 2 cm(2) were cut longitudinally. Each group consisted of an unsutured center sample, or control, and the two contiguous samples, that on the right sutured with Gore-Tex at a 90 degrees angle with respect to the longitudinal axis and that on the left sewn with the same suture material at 45 degrees angle. The sutured samples showed a statistically significant loss of resistance (p<0.001) when compared with the corresponding unsutured tissue. The mean stresses at rupture for sutured ostrich pericardium were 21.81 and 20.81 MPa in the samples sewn at 45 degrees and 90 degrees, respectively, higher than those corresponding to unsutured calf and pig pericardium, 14.0 and 11.49 MPa, respectively, at rupture. The analysis of the stress/strain curve shows a smaller difference between sutured and unsutured ostrich pericardium than those observed in the other two biomaterials. These results demonstrate that, in addition to its greater resistance, ostrich pericardium also presents a less pronounced interaction with the suture material. Its capacity to absorb the shearing stress produced by the suture is greater. This report also confirms that the method of selection using paired samples ensures their homogeneity and makes it possible to predict the behavior of a sample by determining that of the other half of the pair.
Animals↗
Comparative blood coagulation studies in the ostrich.
Blood coagulation of the ostrich was compared to that of mammalian (man and sheep), avian (chicken) and reptilian (puff adder) systems. The international normalised ratio (INR), partial thromboplastin time (PTT), thrombin time and fibrin degradation were determined, as well as the various coagulation factors in venous ostrich plasma, using human physiological substrates. Thromboplastin was isolated from fresh brain tissue with the exception of the reptile for which lung tissue was used. The levels of markers of the coagulation [antithrombin III (AT), factor X (FX) and prothrombin], the fibrinolytic (alpha2-antiplasmin) and the kallikrein system were determined using chromogenic substrates. Elevated values for INR, PTT and thrombin time were obtained as compared to known human standards. It was found that factors VII, IX, X, XI and XII were absent from ostrich plasma. A study of the homologous and heterologous thromboplastin activities indicated that ostrich plasma exhibited a lower thromboplastic activity when compared to human standards, but was comparable to avian and reptilian values. Ostrich plasma revealed 42.2% FX, 72.9% AT, 35.3% prothrombin, 115.6% alpha2-antiplasmin and 19.8% plasma kallikrein, relative to human plasma. All the results suggest that the ostrich coagulatory system has not evolved to include all the complex myriad of reactions found in the human system.
Animals↗
Identification of ostrich and chicken cholecystokinin cDNA and intestinal peptides.
The cDNAs encoding the preprohormones of the regulatory peptides cholecystokinin (CCK) and the related gastrin have been identified in a number of vertebrate species. However, from birds only chicken preprogastrin is known. In the present study preproCCK cDNA was identified in two species of birds, ostrich and chicken. In addition, the molecular forms of the bioactive peptides expressed in the small intestine were characterized. Both preproCCKs contain mono basic processing sites for the production of CCK-70 and -8 as seen in turtle and bullfrog. However, compared to these species an unusually large proportion was processed to the small forms CCK-7 and -8 and only minute amounts to larger forms. The encoded preprohormones are very similar to each other and to turtle CCK. Furthermore, they also show a high degree of similarity to the CCKs identified in more distant vertebrates. This confirms that CCK is highly conserved among vertebrates while the structure of gastrin, the other member of the CCK/gastrin family, is considerably more variable.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Entamoeba sp. (Sarcomastigophora: Endamoebidae) from ostriches (Struthio camelus) (Aves: Struthionidae).
The first case of Entamoeba of the 1-nucleate mature cyst group in birds is described. Trophozoites and cysts of Entamoeba have been found in ostriches (Struthio camelus) from farms located all over Spain. The cysts are large (13.47microm mean diameter); they possess one nucleus when mature, with a large endosome and peripheral chromatine arranged in small granules; chromatoid bodies, when present, are large and elongated. Trophozoites are large (19. 88microm mean diameter), with a clear differentiation between ecto- and endoplasm, this containing numerous vacuoles; the nucleus is large and diffuse. The characteristics of this amoeba resembles but do not completely fulfill those of E. suis and E. chattoni; also, these species are from mammals.
Animal Husbandry↗
Winter survival in Sweden of L(3)-stage larvae of the ostrich wireworm Libyostrongylus douglassii.
Libyostrongylus douglassii, a pathogenic trichostrongylid nematode of the ostrich, was recently identified as a potentially important parasite in ostriches on Swedish farms. This parasite is well adapted to the hot and dry climates of sub-Saharan Africa, the natural habitat of the ostrich. The influence of low temperatures in colder climates, such as in Sweden, on free-living stages of L. douglassii is however insufficiently known. In this study, parasite free ostrich faeces were mixed with infective L(3)-stage larvae of L. douglassii, which had been cultured from eggs obtained from two Swedish farms. Samples of the mixture were placed on a grass surface, and analyses for L(3)-stage larvae were performed at regular intervals. The results of the study showed that L(3)-stage larvae may remain alive during a period of at least 97 days on pasture during the winter season in Sweden, even when the temperature within the samples was repeatedly below -0.1 degrees C, and the air temperature varied between -19.6 and +14.9 degrees C. It was concluded that L(3)-stage larvae of L. douglassii probably have the ability to remain viable on pastures during winter in Sweden.
Animals↗
Parasites from farmed ostriches (Struthio camelus) and rheas (Rhea americana) in Europe.
During a 4-year-period, more than 500 ostriches and several rheas, all born in European countries and raised in Spain and Portugal, have been analyzed for the presence of ectoparasites and endoparasites. A total of 29 parasite species have been found, most of them of the gastrointestinal tract. Some of the helminth species found may represent spureous parasitosis, as only the eggs (of an ascarid and a trematode) were found in some samples. From the organisms identified, the ectoparasites (lice-Struthiolipeurus rheae, S. nandu; mites-Dermoglyphus pachycnemis, Gabucinia bicaudata), helminths (cestoda-Houttuynia struthionis- and nematoda-Libyostrongylus sp., Codiostomum struthionis-) and the ciliate Balantidium struthionis are known as ratite specific parasites. Capillaria eggs and larvae were also found; there are no previous records of this parasite from ostriches, and the data available do not allow to do a temptative specific diagnosis. Among protozoa, most of the species now found are described for the first time in ratites. They include organisms also found in other birds (Trichomonas gallinae, Tetratrichomonas gallinarum, Chilomastix gallinarum, Spironucleus meleagridis and Pleuromonas jaculans), and organisms whose specific status cannot be established until further analysis are performed (Cryptosporidium sp., Eimeria sp. and/or Isospora sp., Entamoeba sp. of the one-nucleate and of the eight-nucleate mature cyst groups, Endolimax sp., Iodamoeba sp., Monocercomonas sp., Retortamonas sp., Giardia sp., Blastocystis sp. and euglenids).
Animals↗
The amino acid sequence of pancreatic alpha-amylase from the ostrich, Struthio camelus.
The amino-acid sequence of alpha-amylase isolated from the pancreas of the ostrich, Struthio camelus was determined. The alpha-amylase (OPA) consisted of 497 amino acid residues with pyroglutamic acid at the N-terminus and no oligosaccharide. Amino acid identity between OPA and chicken, porcine and human pancreatic alpha-amylases individually, was found to be 88, 82 and 86%, respectively.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Differentiation of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) strains by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis.
Here we describe the application of a random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis for molecular genetic typing avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) strains. The RAPD technique was shown to be highly reproducible. Stable banding patterns with a high discriminatory capacity were obtained using two different primers. Overall, 55 E. coli strains were analyzed with a RAPD technique. The RAPD analysis showed that the E. coli strains isolated from poultry in Thailand and Sweden could be grouped into 50 of RAPD types by using these two different primer sets. Most of these different E. coli RAPD types were not geographically restricted. There was, as expected, a tendency of higher genetic relationship among E. coli strains isolated from the same farm. It is suggested that the RAPD technique may provide a rapid, low cost, simple and powerful tool to study the clonal epidemiology of avian E. coli infections.
Animals↗
Virulence properties of Escherichia coli isolated from ostriches with respiratory disease.
Eight Escherichia coli isolates from ostriches with respiratory disease were investigated for the presence of genes encoding the following adhesins: type 1 pili (fim), pili associated with pyelonephritis (pap), S fimbriae (sfa), afimbrial adhesin (afaI), temperature regulated adhesin, curli (crl, csgA) and temperature-sensitive hemagglutinin (tsh). Genes for heat labile (LT) and heat stable (STa and STb) enterotoxins, Shiga toxins (stx1 and stx2), cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 (cnf), alpha-haemolysin (hly) and aerobactin (aer) production were also investigated. Other characteristics investigated were the presence of hemagglutination activity, growth on an iron-deficient medium, aerobactin production, serum resistance, adherence to chicken tracheal cells, pathogenicity for day-old chicks, and serogroup. Serogrouping showed that four isolates belonged to serogroup O2, two to serogroup O78, one to serogroup O9, and one to serogroup O21. The virulence genes found were: fim in all eight isolates, csgA in seven, aer in six, and pap, crl and tsh in one isolate each. All isolates analyzed were positive for mannose-resistant hemagglutination, adhered in vitro to ciliated tracheal epithelium, grew on iron-deficient medium, and showed serum resistance. Pathogenicity tests on day-old chickens revealed one highly pathogenic isolate, three of low pathogenicity and four isolates with intermediate pathogenicity.
Adhesins, Escherichia coli↗
Detection of circovirus with a polymerase chain reaction in the ostrich (Struthio camelus) on a farm in The Netherlands.
This study describes for the first time the presence of circoviruses in ostrich tissue including embryos. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for the detection of the virus in liver samples. The use of a polymerase for low copy detection significantly increased the sensitivity of the test as well as a Southern blot. Viral DNA could be detected in chicks and eggs that did not hatch. For localisation of the virus in the liver in situ hybridisation was performed on a selection of positive liver tissues.
Animals↗
Absence of host specificity for in vitro adhesion of probiotic lactic acid bacteria to intestinal mucus.
Adhesion of probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) has been reported to be host species specific. Host specificity is regarded as a desirable property for probiotic bacteria and therefore recommended as one of the selection criteria. However, previous studies have indicated that LAB originating from one host adhere well also to the mucus of other species. The aim of the study was to investigate the host specificity of LAB adhesion in human, canine, possum, bird and fish mucus in vitro. An in vitro mucus adhesion model was utilized in this study using immobilized mucus from faeces or intestinal material of these hosts. The results indicate that the adhesion trait was not host specific but rather was characteristic to LAB species. In conclusion, mucus adhesion properties are more dependent on the LAB strain than on the host. This suggests that animal models in probiotic adhesion assays may be more applicable to other species than thought earlier. Positive health effects facilitated by adherent probiotics in humans may also denote the possibility of similar outcome in other species and vice versa.
Animals↗
Restraint and housing of ratites.
Large animal practitioners are called upon to assist producers to prevent and control disease and to manage flocks. The concerns that exist in traditional livestock and poultry management are also applicable to ratites. Adequate ventilation, shelter, and space allocation are the foundations of flock health. Practitioners need to know how to handle ratites in order to perform a through physical examination and collect diagnostic samples.
Animals↗